Vinegar pickle question

[ORChick]

I determined a couple of months ago that I do not like fermented beets. So I am pickling some beets in spiced vinegar today. Not too many; DH doesn't particularly like them. So, my question: I've done this before, and just blindly followed the instuctions in the recipe. But this time I actually read what I was doing . So can anybody tell me the logic behind using a certain amount of vinegar, and then half as much water, and boiling it all for 10 minutes (I assume to concentrate the flavors, and maybe the acidity). Why not just leave out some or all of the water, and not boil it as long? Which is, by the way, what I am doing. I'm using my own homemade apple cider vinegar (I know - a big no-no - but I am not driving 20 minutes into town just for a bottle of inferior vinegar!), and don't think I should dilute it at all - though it is probably stronger than the store stuff anyway, as I have never processed it in any way, and the vinegar beasties have been happily having their way with it for the last 5 months .
By the time anyone finds time to answer I will probably be done with the project, or at least have the jars in the canner, so this is more of an academic question. Thanks for any insight!

 

[patandchickens]

AFAIK the main two reasons for boiling the vinegar first are a) to get the sugar all dissolved, and b) to kill any [as you say] "vinegar beasties" because not everybody wants a glob of gooey mother in their pickles

I think the reason recipes say "10 minutes" is because if you say two minutes some people will just bring it barely to a simmer and call it good, and then complain about the results I suppose it is concievable that you are also boiling it for that period of time to drive out dissolved air which might, maybe?, affect the product in some way... but I dunno bout that.

It is always OK to use a stronger vinegar than called for (e.g to dilute it less) -- I use a stronger solution for pickled beets than most recipes call for, just cuz I like it that way.

If you are using your homemade vinegar straight, that is less risky than cutting it with water as recipes intend; but really it would be good to own some litmus paper if you are wanting to use homemade vinegar for pickling.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[ORChick]

Thanks for the reply Pat. All good points. What I mainly was questioning was not the boiling - makes sense for the reasons you indicate (though I imagine the Beasties would be killed anyway later during the hot water bath) - but also to help draw out the flavor of the cloves, cinnamon and allspice. Mostly I was wondering about first adding water, and then boiling it away. That makes no sense to me.
And yes, litmus paper is probably a very good idea. And I had better do it soon, as I really prefer to ferment the few pickles I make (except beets ), so I probably won't face this issue again for another year or, possibly, two.

 

[patandchickens]

but also to help draw out the flavor of the cloves, cinnamon and allspice.

Really? I've never added them to the pickling liquid, just to the jar and then you pour the pickling liquid in *on* them (and the pickles of course)

Mostly I was wondering about first adding water, and then boiling it away. That makes no sense to me.

I would doubt that 10 minutes of boiling is really concentrating your vinegar all that much if any, especially if you are making a large batch of pickles and therefore have a fair depth of liquid in the pan (as opposed to, like, an inch of liquid in a shallow pan, which obviosly *does* concentrate considerably in 10 minutes)

JMHO,

Pat, stricken with terror and an attack of recipe-reading ditherment at the prospect of cooking a very large 5 month old turkey for DH's side of the family tomorrow, with the challenge of making it come out tender and moist but *not* brining cuz I do not want to hear two hours of comments about how salty it was

 

[ORChick]

Do you have a covered roaster? I have never had a problem with dry meat when using one - but I admit to never knowing the age of the (already processed) birds that I have roasted.

And yes, the recipe called for boiling the spices in the vinegar. Smelled good